Game Design and Interactive Media, B.A.

Mission

Biola’s Game Design and Interactive Media major prepares students to design innovative games with emotionally-resonant stories and interactive mechanics. Located in one of the game industry’s top metro areas, Biola is uniquely positioned to train game designers in the exploration and integration of faith into the art of interactive storytelling, from technical mastery through one’s character. 

Degree Program

Game designers create the story and mechanics (rules) that form the core of the video game experience. Students learn all aspects of game development, from 3D art to programming, while focusing on designing release-quality digital games. Located within Biola’s Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts, this degree provides students a solid foundation in visual storytelling, including screenwriting and shot composition. This culminates in an advanced team project where students complete a festival-worthy game with an underlying theme inspired by their faith.

Freshman Year

Games represent a convergence of different mediums, so freshman year introduces students to the fundamentals of cinema, 3D art and computer programming. The cinema courses are shared with writing and production students, which helps foster community and develop a common language for visual storytelling. Students also take an introductory course in game history, learning about seminal games and designers and seeing firsthand how technology has influenced the evolution of gameplay.

Sophomore Year

Sophomores are introduced to the iterative game design process. Students begin by defining the player experience they envision. Next, a “core mechanic” is chosen — this is the primary gameplay goal and method of interactivity. Students then create paper prototypes and playtest them to verify the chosen mechanic and gain feedback from fellow students. This process continues until a design is finalized.

Junior Year

Junior year goes beyond the fundamentals. Game Narratives explores how to effectively integrate story with gameplay — no easy feat due to the interactive nature of games. Game Engines gives students familiarity with the technical tools of game development, emphasizing programming and building interactive 3D worlds. These two courses lead to Intermediate Game Design, where teams of students create digital prototypes that explore themes of faith and culture through gameplay and story. Also in Level Design, students break down their games into individual moments, designing puzzles, level architecture and emotional feedback systems.

Senior Year

Seniors take everything they have learned and produce several polished digital games ready for distribution. In Advanced Game Design, project teams continue the designs they started in the intermediate course and use an iterative production process to finish and “ship” their game. Then in Senior Portfolio, each student has the opportunity to lead a project team in the creation of their own short game or vertical slice game level. The games produced in both courses will be suitable for entering in independent games festivals such as IndieCade and IGF. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Game Design and Interactive Media, students will be able to:

1. Understand and apply the principles of game design, including mechanics, level design, prototyping, playtesting, and narrative in order to create plans for emotionally-resonant games. (ULO 1, 3)
2. Demonstrate the ability to integrate a Christian worldview into the writing and design of games, and to exhibit godly character as designers and producers in the classroom. (ULO 2)
3. Evaluate games in terms of their mechanics, narrative, and art, drawing from an understanding of video game history, the current state of the industry, and the role of technology in shaping games. (ULO 1)
4. Create digital games in collaboration with a team, using industry-standard software and production pipelines. (ULO 3)

Each Program Learning Outcome (PLO) listed above references at least one of the University Learning Outcomes (ULO 1, 2, 3), which may be found in the General Information section of this catalog.

Admission Requirements

The entertainment industry is a highly competitive, creative and demanding business. Admission into the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts is separate from and contingent upon your admission to Biola University. Admission to Biola University does not guarantee admission into the Game Design and Interactive Media, B.A. To be admitted into the Game Design and Interactive Media, B.A., the following requirements must be observed:

1. Complete all portions of the application for admission.
2. Transfer students should accomplish an overall cumulative GPA of 2.50 in all college level coursework completed at the time of formal application.

After you have completed your application to Biola University, complete your online application to the Game Design and Interactive Media, B.A. by the appropriate deadline indicated on the website.

Prior professional media experience is not a prerequisite for admission into the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts. During the application process we’re more interested in discovering your potential, creative thinking, problem solving and Christian character. Department faculty prayerfully review all applications. Notification letters will be sent out by the deadlines listed in the schedule. You will be notified of your acceptance, of non-acceptance, or if more information is required.

If you have any questions about the status of your application, please call the CMA office at (562) 777-4052 or email cma@biola.edu.

Current Biola Students

Admission to Biola University, or to the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts in the Cinema and Media Arts, B.A., or the Writing for Film and Television, B.A., does not guarantee admission into the Game Design and Interactive, B.A. To be admitted, the following requirements must be observed:

1. Complete the Creative Sample portion of the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts application for admission. The application should be filed the semester in which the student is in progress of completing any prerequisite curriculum requirements.
2. Complete, with a minimum of a C (2.0) grade in all major courses taken at Biola.
3. Accomplish an overall cumulative GPA of 2.50 in all college level course work completed at the time of formal application.
4. Meet approval of the academic faculty advisor of the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts. The process may require a meeting with the Assistant Dean.

Industry Career Management Requirements

Industry Internship

Students in the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts must complete an entertainment industry internship as a requirement for graduation. As part of the internship approval process, students are required to first enroll in CNMA 210 Internship Seminar and then complete CNMA 440 Internship. Further information on the process for meeting the requirement, including the application form and instructions, is available from the department.

Industry Workshops

Students in the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts will be required to complete a series of eight (8) industry workshops throughout their degree program. These workshops will be made available each semester. Students will receive regular communications from the department regarding the scheduling and availability of these workshops.

General Requirements

All Game Design and Interactive Media majors must achieve a minimum grade of C in all major courses taken at Biola. Anyone receiving a lower grade must repeat the course and receive a C or better.

CMA students may be required to purchase computer equipment and/or software as may be applicable for their respective degrees. While we understand the financial strains of such equipment expenditures, we also recognize that these technologically driven majors involve costs well beyond the textbooks that serve as the essential tools for many other undergraduate departments. Contact the department for specific equipment recommendations.

The Games and Interactive Media degree combines traditional cinematic storytelling techniques with new interactive mediums to develop game designers and media artists with a Christian world view. This concentration focuses specifically on story-centric game design, while incorporating some 3D animation, visual effects, virtual reality, and computer programming.

¹

Fulfills the Mathematics Core Curriculum requirement.

²

See Core Curriculum section for details.

NOTE: The course sequence table is designed by the major department and is one way that the classes will work out properly in sequence for your major. However, there are alternative or flexible ways to rotate some of the classes within the same year/level and sometimes between year levels. Please contact your major department advisor to discuss flexible alternatives in scheduling the sequence of your classes.

Taking coursework during the summer session may also be an option to accelerate your degree path.

See Core Curriculum Program section for a list of approved Core Curriculum courses.

Game Design and Interactive Media, B.A.

NOTE: The course sequence table is designed by the major department and is one way that the classes will work out properly in sequence for your major. However, there are alternative or flexible ways to rotate some of the classes within the same year/level and sometimes between year levels. Please contact your major department advisor to discuss flexible alternatives in scheduling the sequence of your classes.

Taking coursework during the summer session may also be an option to accelerate your degree path.

See Core Curriculum Program section for a list of approved Core Curriculum courses.

Game Design and Interactive Media, B.A.

Note: Certain CMA classes are not offered every semester. Please check with the Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts for the most up-to-date schedule of required courses.